I'm always making up excuses for myself to not workout, and I constantly give in to all of my favorite foods. How do you all keep yourself motivated when it comes to living a healthy lifestyle? I need some inspiration!

Neleke

07-21-2013 07:57 AM

maybe you could try to make a system with rewards?
Let's say: If I work out x times a week, I can reward myself with watching a movie.
Or: if I eat healthy stuff for the entire week, on Sunday I can eat ... (insert one or several of your favourite foods)

claudine191

07-21-2013 11:10 AM

Exercise is a problem for me in this hot weather. I get queasy in extreme heat. When I went to a nearby gym, I found myself appalled by the way people smelled (I have a strong sense of smell). So, I force myself to use the stairs at work, don't eat sweets or drink soda, and live (uncomfortably) with the physical results (I have more of a tummy than I used to, and I think my arms are fat). OTOH, how much of that is age? I don't know.

As for healthy food, I do cheat occasionally, but the way I feel afterward or even the next day is motivation enough to mostly stay on the right track.

Much of the process seems to be habit, as in, once you start exercising regularly, it gets easier, but as to how to find that initial motivation, the best thing I've found is to watch a movie about athleticism, such as "Bend it like Beckham" or "Love and Basketball."

Munchy

07-22-2013 08:03 AM

With exercise, it's all about habit. I admit, I have a hard time keeping up with everything at once. When I have a particularly stressful period at work with a lot of deadlines or if my daughter has many activities or school projects going on (or even seasonal with yard work, etc) I find that I easily skip the gym due to tight time constraints. It's something I've struggled with for years. Time management is HARD!

For food, I don't have much of an issue because I love to cook. I set myself up for success by cooking or prepping on weekends so that I have a freezer full of individual meals or meal components that I just need to reheat or spend very little time on. It's cheap, healthy, and easy to do it that way. I basically eat any foods, but I tweak them to make them more fitting to my health plan without losing the satisfaction of what I may have a taste for at the time.

spiderlashes5000

07-22-2013 09:27 AM

I don't like the way I look fat. Yes, I have been fat and it wasn't cute.

My motivation is there but sometimes it's hard to follow thru on my plans to exercise due to a lack of time or bc I'm just exhausted.

anissafersure

07-22-2013 10:21 AM

Well guys, I finally have found the will & motivation to start exercising/living a healthy life! In the past, I always wanted to do it for the wrong reasons, but now I know that I need to do this for me and ONLY me. I started Insanity yesterday, and just completed day 2 today! I feel so good it's unbelievable. Thanks so much for the advice everyone, I appreciate it (: